When Fortress Maximus and his followers quit the war and left for the planet Nebulos, Scorponok tracked them and led his troops there, vowing to conquer the new planet. Upon reaching Nebulos, Scorponok manipulated and blackmailed the politician Lord Zarak into working for him and becoming his binary bonded Headmaster partner. This would affect him dramatically, however, and resulted in the fusion of both his and Zarak's personalities. Over time, they effectively became a new version of Zarak, channeling the loyalties and lust for power of Scorponok. Love and Steel!

When Galen decided to leave Nebulos for Earth, Scorponok and his forces again followed, leaving the war-torn Nebulos behind. Brothers in Armor!Shortly after he arrived, his plans were set back when he attempted to have Mindwipe brainwash the Autobot Highbrow, who instead ripped his head off. The shock left both Scorponok and Zarak out of commission for quite some time while they were separated. All in the Minds! Scorponok was not reactivated until Earth was already in the midst of the Time Wars, and joined with the various Transformers of two worlds, two factions and two eras against the fighting-mad Galvatron. Time Wars Scorponok found that, due to the fractured Decepticon forces on Earth, he had to vie for command of the Decepticon forces against Ratbat, Shockwave, and Starscream. By the end of the Underbase Saga, however, Shockwave had apparently burned up on atmospheric re-entry, Starscream had exploded from an energy overload, and Ratbat was dead by Scorponok's hand. His command of the Decepticons on Earth was assured. Dark Star

In 1991, Scorponok made Decepticon history as Optimus Prime formally offered his surrender in hopes of making a new force to combat the Dark God Unicron. Scorponok initially planned to betray Prime's trust to bolster his own leadership position, which was faltering in the wake of Starscream's return; his troops were threatening mutiny, and two even left the ranks. But Prime eventually persuaded him to unite their forces — just as a contingent of rebel Decepticons under Shockwave's command attacked Scorponok's base. Surrender!

After a protracted battle which ended with Shockwave knocked out by the human Circuit Breaker, Scorponok agreed to help the Autobots and was brought by Primus to Cybertron to prepare for the ultimate battle, along with every other Transformer on Earth. Out of Time!

Scorponok met his fate in this battle as he sacrificed himself to rally his forces against Unicron. In his last few moments, Scorponok realized the nobility of Optimus Prime, and hoped that his sacrifice would redeem him. Though a Decepticon to the core, Scorponok/Zarak died a hero, defending Cybertron from Unicron, and was called "old friend" by Optimus Prime himself as he passed. On the Edge of Extinction!

Marvel UK future timelines

In an alternate 1991, near the end of the Decepticon Civil War between the forces of Scorponok, Megatron, and Shockwave, Scorponok found himself separated from his troops and hounded by Megatron's Air Strike Patrol. He attracted the attention of the Autobots by rampaging through a human settlement, and immediately surrendered to Hot Rod, leader of the Autobot unit. As Autobot ethics require the protection of prisoners, Scorponok had maneuvered Hot Rod's team into fighting his battle for him. With the frustrated Autobots and Megatron's Decepticons focused on each other, Scorponok was free to walk away. Aspects of Evil!

Ladybird Books continuity

"Put me on the Naughty List, will you?!"

Scorponok was originally a large, mobile Decepticon base on Nebulos. Decepticons at the Pole Through means unknown, he became a Transformer, as well as smaller and sentient, and took command of the Decepticon forces from Cyclonus.

He matched wits with Optimus Prime himself, at one point trying to lure him into surrendering in exchange for a hostage's life. Autobot Hostage Eventually, the Autobots became too big a nuisance, and Scorponok had the Decepticons move en masse to a secret underground city in the Nebulos Triangle, but this backfired when the Autobots sealed him and his army underground for good. Decepticons Underground

American animated continuity

Scorponok was a gigantic Headmaster robot built from scratch by Lord Zarak, the secret ruler of Nebulos, upon learning of the Transformers. Working from the Headmaster process designed by the Autobot Brainstorm and later applied to his allies in the Hive and the Decepticons, Zarak used his mental powers to reconstruct the Hive's entire city into a robotic body for him to binary bond with. With Scorponok under his command, Zarak was able to retrieve the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber from the Autobots and carry the Decepticon forces back to Cybertron to reunite with Galvatron. In the end, however, a bolt of plasma energy zapped Scorponok in his city mode, launching the massive Headmaster (and the collected Decepticons inside) far out into space. The Rebirth, Part 3

Japanese animated continuity

Note:In this continuity, Scorponok is the name of the being who becomes the head of the giant robot, taking the place of Lord Zarak in Japanese fiction. The giant robot's name is MegaZarak, but it's simply a lifeless Transtector that serves as a larger body for Scorponok, so it all comes out the same in the long run. Sorta. Kinda. Look, just call him Scorponok, okay? It'll confuse you less.

The Headmasters anime

In the reverse of his Western naming, in Japan, the head unit only is called Scorponok. The larger scorpion form (MegaZarak) is an unliving form he combines with. When we asked Takara why, they shouted "WHAT'S THAT BEHIND YOU?!" and ran away.

Scorponok was one of a group of diminutive Transformers who left Cybertron long ago to escape the Great War and took up residence on the planet Master. To survive the harsh environmental conditions on Master, the Transformers built large, lifeless robotic bodies called Transtectors, to which they could connect as heads, increasing their size and power. Scorponok underwent the training to become one of these "Headmasters," but he chafed under the leadership of Fortress, and he led several like-minded Headmaster warriors in a rebellion that ultimately ended with their defeat and exile from Master. Eventually, they teamed up with Galvatron and the Decepticons and joined them in an attack on Cybertron in 2011. Four Warriors Come Out Of The Sky

Scorponok stuck to the shadows at first (literally), emerging only to lure the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet Praum. The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery Not long thereafter, when Galvatron discovered that Vector Sigma was in the midst of developing a powerful new alloy, Scorponok advised against attacking the planet, suggesting instead that they destroy the alloy, rather than risk the Autobots gaining control of it. Cybertron is in Grave Danger, Part 1 In truth, Scorponok was more concerned about Galvatron obtaining the alloy's power, and determined to stop anyone from acquiring it by destroying Cybertron itself. He had Mindwipe plant powerful bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, which detonated and tore the planet apart, taking Galvatron with it. Cybertron is in Grave Danger, Part 2

Scorponok subsequently took control of the Decepticons, falsely claiming that Galvatron was alive and commanding him from afar. The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok In order to crush Fortress, who possessed a giant Transtector that he could combine with, becoming "Fortress Maximus," Scorponok had enslaved Beastformers toil on the planet Zarak within a dark nebula to construct a giant Transtector for him, while he focused his attention on harnessing the power of the plasma energy released in the destruction of Cybertron. Seeking to generate even more of the energy, Scorponok arranged for the destruction of Mars, and stepped from the shadows for the first time to activate his Transtector in the middle of the battle that ensued. Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears

Believing that his deeds had cemented his position of power, Scorponok arranged for a coronation ceremony on Earth's moon so that he could become the new Decepticon leader, but in the midst of it, Galvatron returned alive and well and retook leadership. Return of the Immortal Emperor This saw Scorponok relegated to the insulting position of interplanetary bus as the Decepticons traveled from world to world, pillaging energy, with which Galvatron planned to fuse himself with the Earth itself. Galvatron did not get the chance to put this plan into action, though, as Scorponok abandoned him to face the Autobot Headmasters alone in a battle at the North Pole, burying him beneath an iceberg. The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg

Once again, Scorponok was able to seize control of the Decepticon, appointed himself the "Emperor of Terror", and began his assault on Earth. During the previous interplanetary quest, however, the Autobots had made contact with Tekna, one of the Beastformers who had worked on the construction of Scorponok's Transtector, and he was able to inform them of the location of its weak spot—behind the Decepticon insignia on its chest. I Risk My Life for Earth With his weak spot perforated, leaving him critically wounded, Scorponok had the Decepticons retreat back to planet Master, where he forged the Zarak Shield out of G Metal to combat the Master Sword. The Autobots pursued the Decepticons to Master, and when the two weapons clashed, the Zarak Shield emerged triumphant. Operation: Destroy the Decepticons Scorponok led the charge back to Earth, intending to send it the way of Mars. Operating out of the sunken continent of Lemuria, Scorponok raised towers of Crysmag metal all over the Earth, generating waves of energy which were gathered by an orbiting satellite. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1) Scorponok lured the Autobots to the North Pole, where he clashed with Fortress Maximus for the last time atop a dais of Crysmag metal, at which point the satellite beamed its stored energy down into his Transtector, and through it into the dais, completing the circuit and threatening to tear the Earth apart. Scorponok disconnected from his Transtector and retreated into space with the Decepticons to watch the Earth's destruction, only for Fortress Maximus—supercharged with the combined energy of the Autobot army united in a Head Formation—to destroy his Transtector, breaking the circuit and saving the Earth. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)

After his defeat on Earth, Scorponok led the Decepticons back to Chaar, and the war moved into a series of space-based exchanges with Athenia. Scorponok arranged for the construction of a new, smaller Transtector (relatively speaking, it was taller than a combiner) with hyper-dense armor, but before he could combine with it, he was captured by the evil alien energy entity Devil Z and brainwashed into his service. Scorponok was subsequently linked to his new Transtector, not as a Headmaster, but wired directly into the chest. With a new head atop his Transtector's shoulders, Scorponok was now BlackZarak, and returned to lead the Decepticon forces in battle against the Autobots in space.

Devil Z, meanwhile, fostered a war on Earth where human beings were merged with Transtectors to become Headmaster Juniors and Godmasters. With the Autobot force increasing in power, Devil Z summoned BlackZarak to Earth, but Fortress Maximus's younger brother, Grand Maximus, made it to the planet ahead of him and warned the Autobots of his coming. In preparation, they constructed Godbomber, who merged with Super Ginrai to form God Ginrai, who could battle BlackZarak in space when he arrived. BlackZarak arrived when God Ginrai was fighting Overlord on the moon, and quickly the battle in the favor himself and Overlord, but Grand Maximus arrived and evened the odds. Overlord was eventually forced to leave because he was damaged, letting the two Autobots gang up on BlackZarak, and eventually God Ginrai decapitated BlackZarak using his God Fire Guts attack, sending the villain retreating into space.

During this extended stay in space, BlackZarak mastered localized gravity manipulation and gained the ability to open black holes, which he used to teleport himself directly to Earth and lead the Decepticons in a series of attacks on major cities. When the Autobots directly attacked the Decepticon base, however, Devil Z merged with BlackZarak, subsisting Scorponok's consciousness, and used his body as a channel for his Devil Power, causing widespread devastation across the planet with its deadly waves. Confronted by God Ginrai in a final battle on the Matterhorn, BlackZarak's body was destroyed through the power of the God Fire Guts, and Devil Z then met his end at God Ginrai's hands.

Zone anime / manga

Aye aye aye — sharpen your boot, and bludgeon your eye.

BlackZarak was resurrected by the supernatural entity Violen Jygar as a member of the Nine Great Demon Generals. Dubbed the "Evil Spirit General," it was never clear if he possessed the consciousness of Scorponok or Devil Z, but he seemed to have a serious pirate-vibe going on, now sporting a hook for a hand and an eye-patch.

As a group of Autobot Micromasters chased after the Decepticons who had stolen Planet Zone's precious Energon Z, BlackZarak suddenly appeared in the darkness of space.

Aye aye aye — the blarney stone brings a tear to me eye.

The Demon-General successfully attacked the Micromasters, on board Countdown's rocket, and managed to trap them in a cocoon of powerful energy webbing. BlackZarak then disappeared into darkness once more, rejoining his comrades, and leaving the webbing to slowly destroy the Autobots' ship.

The Autobots managed to free themselves and sent out Sunrunner who tracked BlackZarak back to the other Decepticons with his radar.

After the destruction of Cybertron, Scorponok became a criminal known for his flagrant violations of the Code of Interplanetary Conflict. His traditional modus operandi was to make contact with ambitious non-Cybertronians on a developing world, work with his contacts to develop advanced weaponry using Cybertronian technology, then eliminate his partners when he had what he wanted. Ultra Magnus had been seeking him for some time.

On the planet Nebulos, Scorponok was in league with Mo Zarak, head of the Cranium, a cabal of really smart scientists. Presumably with input from Scorponok, the Cranium had created hybrid Nebulan/Cybertronian beings. Unfortunately for Scorponok, Ultra Magnus had tracked him down. Claiming to be on the verge of something "breathtaking", Scorponok proceeded to beat the snot out of Ultra Magnus, before transforming into beast mode to finish him off. Unfortunately, Zarak ran out, begging Scorponok not to fire, or risk destroying what they had built. Unable to abort his shot, Scorponok killed Zarak (revealing to Magnus that the Nebulan had also been infused with Cybertronian technology). Shocked at his actions, a furious Scorponok turned to Ultra Magnus, and Magnus shot Scorponok in the head. However, Scorponok managed to escape through an artificial wormhole generator. Spotlight: Ultra Magnus

Shortly after the Brasnya conflict, Ultra Magnus contacted Optimus Prime, saying that he had a new lead on Scorponok's whereabouts, but he did not elaborate on the specifics. Spotlight: Optimus Prime

At some point over the last twenty years, Scorponok chose Earth as the location to continue his experiments. Making contact with a man named Abraham Dante, Scorponok established an underground organization of human agents known as the Machination, based out of Tampa, Florida. With their assistance, Scorponok began further developing the Headmaster technology he had begun on Nebulos, designing the means for cybernetically-enhanced humans to bond with mechanoid bodies. This technology now had great personal value to Scorponok, as he had been reduced to little more than a disconnected head without a body, apparently due to the head shot Ultra Magnus gave him in their last encounter.

The Headmaster process was completed shortly before Megatron initiated Phase Two on Earth — all it needed was a test subject. To accommodate this, Scorponok and Dante sent agents out into the field to locate the Autobot and Decepticon bases, and conceived tactical scenarios for forcibly acquiring a Transformer as a "guinea pig" before Scorponok underwent the process himself. When the discovery of Ore-13 accelerated the conflict on Earth, the Machination accelerated their plans as well. Infiltration issue 4

When the Autobots Ironhide and Sunstreaker next left the Ark-19 in Lake Michigan, Machination agents surprised them on the highway and kidnapped Sunstreaker, leaving behind a heavily-scrapped replica to throw any pursuers temporarily off the scent. As a bonus, they picked up Sunstreaker's passenger as well, Hunter O'Nion. Escalation issue 1 Taking advantage of the situation, Scorponok and Dante attempted to have Hunter brainwashed and subjected him to the same bio-mechanical engineering as their own agents, creating a small squad of Sunstreaker replicas, each with their own human cyborg controller modified to act as the head in robot mode. Escalation issue 6

With the Headmaster process a success, Scorponok proceeded to the next stage: revitalizing himself. Abraham Dante underwent the Headmaster process and donned an exo-carapace of his own. The two of them binary bonded just in time to test-drive their union against Hunter O'Nion, who had managed to shake off their brainwashing attempt and was trying to escape the Machination compound. Despite his renewed size and power, however, Scorponok failed to prevent Hunter from binary-bonding with one of the Sunstreaker drones, and escaping the Machination. Devastation issue 6

Oh come on, I just got this head!

The Dante/Scorponok merge went well; even Dante considered them one being. He planted a mole named Kloss into Skywatch, who planted a virus into Grimlock, freeing him from Skywatch's control. When Grimlock escaped, Scorponok met Grimlock with an offer of an alliance for world conquest. Grimlock refused and they battled, with Grimlock losing. Before he could be killed, Grimlock teleported to his still-functional ship. Dante/Scorponok later planned to take control of the other Dynobots and use them to destroy Grimlock. Spotlight: Grimlock

If a camel is a horse designed by committee, then Scorponok is ... er ...

The second largest Decepticon toy in Generation One, Scorponok's beast mode is a robotic purple, green and orange scorpion. The pincers have multiple points of articulation, and the ratcheting joints are strong enough to grasp a smaller Transformer. His eight legs are also independently jointed. There are two wheels with rubber grips underneath Scorponok's beast mode body, and pushing him along will cause the scorpion legs to move, simulating the motion of walking. Lord Zarak can sit inside the scorpion head/cockpit while in robot form, or he can be stored inside the chest compartment.

Like many large Generation One Transformers, Scorponok has a base mode, with various ramps and towers for smaller Transformer toys to interact with, though it is quite out of scale for larger toys, such as his fellow Decepticon Headmasters. The central ramp (formed out of his beast tail) is designed with Fasttrack in mind and features a minor gimmick — placing Fasttrack on the orange panel and pressing the small black button will cause the back of the orange panel to rise, sending Fasttrack rolling down the ramp.

Scorponok's robot mode is impressively large, and still remains one of the largest Decepticon toys in the Transformers franchise. As with all Headmasters, Scorponok has a flip-down panel on his chest which covers a spring-loaded mini-Tech-Spec-meter which gives readings for Speed, Strength and Intelligence. The tumblers are activated when Lord Zarak (or any other Headmaster unit) is plugged into his neck socket while in head mode. As Lord Zarak is about the same size as the Headmaster units of smaller Headmaster toys, Scorponok would thus have a pretty small noggin if not for the large helmet (that was the beast mode scorpion head) that is placed over the Headmaster. The helmet also features a flip-down visor, which was homaged in EnergonScorponok. The 2-part rifle and shield plug into Scorponok's pincers.

This Japanese-exclusiveretool of Scorponok/Mega Zarak is also redecoed in black, gold and red/orange. Black Zarak came with Scorponok and Black Rorichi who have been similarly redecoed to fit this new colour scheme. The helmet/scorpion head has been retooled so that it has a face that is in better proportion to the rest of Black Zarak's body than the Headmaster unit did, and so does not even require the Headmaster to be connected to fully form robot mode (though the Headmaster unit can be connected and stored under the head). Black Zarak also comes with a new accessory - a red/orange two-piece spear that can be held in robot mode. All other accessories remain the same.

BlackZarak is notoriously difficult to find complete, due to many of his accessories suffering from gold plastic syndrome. Even sealed box samples have horrified owners who discovered broken parts on their previously-untouched toys.

Merchandise

Super Collection Figure

Collect them all!

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Notes

Meanwhile, in a different early Micromasters commercial, a group of stop-motion Micromaster toys are seen to swarm and defeat an inexplicable white and grey-blue version of Scorponok's toy.

The Action Master EliteDouble Punch's mold looks just like an Action Master version of BlackZarak, right down to the molded details, including the head. The coloring (black/red/purple) is similar to BlackZarak's coloring (black/red/gold) as well. This is very strange, considering that Japan never got Action Masters, and Europe never got BlackZarak.